Remembering Professor James O’Connell

James O’Connell, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, died on 8 September 2013 after a short illness, at the age of 87. Professor O’Connell was appointed chair of Peace Studies in 1978. He faced a difficult task: how to manage the activism and interdisciplinary nature of Peace Studies within a University setting, not to mention the threat posed by the Thatcher government. Professor O’Connell played a vital role in saving the department and in building its considerable reputation worldwide.